The Fortress

CJ Entertainment Presents

A Siren Pictures Production

Executive Producer

JEONG Tae-sung

Produced by

Michelle KWON Simon LEE PARK Ji-sung

Producer

KIM Ji-yeon

In the early 17th century, Jurchen

which was in conflict with Ming China

named itself

the Qing Empire and forced

the Joseon Dynasty of Korea

to become its servant nation.

Joseon resisted on the reason of

its dignity and loyalty to the Ming.

On December 14, 1636, the Qing's army

crossed the Yalu River to invade Joseon.

Joseon's king lnjo and his lieges took refuge

in the fortress in Namhan mountain.

That winter was harshly cold

with heavy snow.

Scare him.

Archers, forward!

Loose!

I have been ordered

by the King of Joseon

to see General Ingguldai!

Is this how you would

greet a royal envoy?

Ask him who he is.

Who are you?

Identify yourself!

I am Myeong-gil Choi, Minister of the Interior

of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea!

LEE Byung-hun KIM Yoon-seok

Get inside.

It's cold out.

PARK Hae-il GO Soo

Did the royal carriage cross here

Iast night?

Yes, I Ied them across the ice.

Soon the Qing will arrive.

Why did you not go

with the royal carriage?

Surely, not even the barbarians

would kill a frail old boatman.

I know the icy path across

this river well.

If the enemy comes, I will guide them

across in exchange for food.

You are a subject of Joseon.

Yesterday, you Ied the way

for your King,

and tomorrow,

you would do the same for the enemy?

After helping the King cross,

I received not even a handful of grain.

I am headed to Namhan Fortress.

Come with me, and I will

reward you for your troubles.

I have a young granddaughter

to care for.

The child at the river bank?

Her parents were Iost

in the flood a few years ago.

I'm the only family

she has Ieft.

Then I will care

for the child, too.

Come with me to the fortress.

It's quite a journey from here.

I advise you to head to the West Gate.

The road is steeper,

but it's the quickest way.

I swear to take care of

both of you.

Will you really not follow me?

I must return to my home,

my Iord.

Music by Ryuichi Sakamoto

Associate Producer HAN Heung-seok

Based on the Novel by KIM Hoon

They say the King

arrived Iast night.

I guess the barbarians

have finally invaded.

Look at them.

I doubt they'II even put up a fight.

Hurry!

Get into formation.

They didn't bring

even a handful of rice.

Don't you think

we should get out of here?

Half the fortress village

has already packed up and fled.

You have somewhere else

you can go?

This is where we rode out

the first Qing invasion.

Yeah, that's true, but...

I'm scared we'II be dragged

into war if we stay.

Live or die,

I will stand by this place.

If you want to Ieave, go.

You're too harsh with me.

Where would I go without you?

Your Majesty, the Minister

of the Interior has arrived!

Does the enemy really talk

of a peace treaty?

The Qing general demands to know

why Joseon broke

the promise of brotherhood.

He only wants to

renew the pledge.

He has no intention

of starting a war.

Have you seen the army

that follows them?

I saw nothing but the advance party

Ied by General Ingguldai.

You are so naive, Minister Choi.

How can we believe the words

of the barbarians?

I can only tell you

what I witnessed at the enemy camp.

And what are the conditions

for this peace treaty?

Will we be forced to terminate

our allegiance to the Ming Empire?

Your Majesty,

I'm obliged to tell you...

Will the Joseon Court

meet our demands?

They are narrow-minded enough

to value moral obligations the most.

I don't expect

they will give in easily.

What is their alternative?

They'II buy themselves time

to think of a way out.

And if we give them the time

they seek, will they succeed?

Why are you people of Joseon

so foolish?

Sir, I am a man of

the Qing Empire now.

The mountain is steep,

and the fortress Iooks solid.

Yes, but Joseon walls are flimsy.

With enough force,

the fortress will collapse on its own.

Once the wooden fences

are complete,

block all paths in

and out of the fortress.

Yes, sir.

We must send them

the crown prince?

They insist we send

His Highness as a hostage.

Otherwise, there will be no chance

for a peace treaty.

The situation is extremely urgent.

I will go.

Stay out of this.

But Your Majesty...

Speak your minds, all of you.

The crown prince demonstrates

an honorable concern for his country.

Even if he is sent

to the barbarians,

I'm sure his honor

will guarantee his safe return.

Does Minister Choi agree?

Speak!

Your Majesty,

regretfully, I must tell you,

if we fail to negotiate

a peace treaty now, we...

Your Majesty!

You must behead anyone

who would utter such vile words!

Whose men are they who would send

the crown prince as a hostage?

It should be their heads

we send to the enemy,

not the crown prince.

That would be the end of

the barbarians' insolent requests.

Minister Kim speaks the truth.

As a Ioyal subject,

I believe it is unthinkable

we would send

the crown prince away.

Don't do it, Your Majesty!

Don't do it, Your Majesty!

Don't do it, Your Majesty.

This cannot happen.

Your Majesty,

the enemy has traveled a Iong way.

They are exhausted.

Put a bounty on their heads

and demonstrate to our soldiers

an indomitable will to fight on.

Are we best serving the country

by using swords in place of words?

What do you mean by words?

Are we to beg for our Iives?

It is not death I fear,

but the future of the country.

And you would hand over the future of

our country to the barbarians?

Your Majesty,

if we do not send

the crown prince,

I fear their demands will

only grow harsher.

If the crown prince is sent,

you will be scorned by the barbarians

and their demands

will grow harsher.

- Your Majesty!

- Enough!

I understand.

You may Ieave, all of you.

Chief Eunuch, hurry!

Summon the royal doctor

to care for the royal body.

How many soldiers

are in the fortress now?

Including those at the fortress

under my command,

the Iocal soldiers

from the nearby provinces,

and the men drafted from the village,

we have a total of 1 3,000.

I understand the enemy numbers

ten times that.

This fortress is

built on a natural barrier.

If our will remains firm,

we will succeed in defending ourselves.

I'm more worried

about the hunger and cold

than the enemy outside the walls.

Are you trying to get

yourself killed?

I told you

not to start a fire along the wall.

He doesn't know any better.

PIease forgive him, my Iord.

What's all the commotion?

Sir, these men disobeyed

a direct order and set a fire.

My brother here has

never been in the army, my Iord.

He has very Iittle experience.

Forgive him just this once.

I am ignorant about these things,

my Iord.

But if you were to send us

to fight in this brutal cold,

shouldn't you make sure

we don't freeze to death?

How dare you!

It is reckless to start a fire

along the fortress wall.

If one man starts a fire,

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